Learn the TRUTH

The Claim:

On the Rescue Squad

Alex Torpey claimed to be "A professional and an Expert"

The TRUTH:

Alex Torpey agreed to accept $1.1M to replace the existing Rescue Squad building without a clue about its real replacement cost. When it came time to obtain estimates of the construction cost, the estimates came in almost double that. However, the agreement was already long since finalized and no longer negotiable.

Alex Torpey initially secretly selected a new location for the new Rescue Squad (on Walton Ave) without considering its impact on neighbors or without discussing it with the Board of Trustees. After loud outcry from neighbors, a second location was unilaterally selected (on 2nd Street) without consultation with the Village's volunteer Development Committee, a committee made up of real experts in the field.

Once the third location (on Sloan St) was agreed upon, Alex Torpey insisted that the building include a 40-bed Emergency Shelter, despite objections from residents and the CERT Coordinator. Again, the Board of Trustees ultimately overruled him, but not before $60,000 was wasted in throwaway design and engineering costs.

As a result, it took too long to finalize the Rescue Squad's new building design, resulting in extra costs and inconvenience by needing to temporarily relocate the Rescue Squad.

In April 2014, it was announced that due to the additional delays, temporary space was rented for the Rescue Squad at a cost of at least $31,500 ($3500/month for 9 months) - Resolution 2014-088

While all this was going on, Alex Torpey did not plan for the displacement of 187 residents and employees, who will lose their commuter/permit parking spaces (as a result of the construction on the site of the old Rescue Squad), and letting them know about it only six days in advance.

As of February 2015, the Rescue Squad still does not have a new building and has been forced to solicit private fundraising to make up for the poorly negotiated replacement cost provided by Alex Torpey, and to make up the deficit incurred by the time and money wasted by Alex Torpey.